welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. new video shows the moment a train jumps the tracks in spain. a deadly accident many are blaming on excessive speed. a prominent japanese scientist is retracting dozens of papers after a university committee rules test results were manipulated.

and as japanese delegates discuss a wade ranging free trade deal, the country's beef producers race to stake out turf in foreign markets. investigators in spain are piecing together evidence as they try to pin down the cause of their country's worst rail accident in decades. the derailment in the northwest killed at least 78 people and injured 140 others. spanish media say the train was going more than double the speed limit. public broadcaster tve aired video of the crash. the force of the impact is clear. the train was traveling from the capital madrid to the northwestern city and derailed at a point four kilometers before the station in the city of santiago. the section of the track curves

immediately after a tunnel. the speed limit there is 80 kilometers per hour. but the newspaper reports that the driver said the train was traveling at 190 kilometers per hour. tve reported the same speed limit for the section of the -- prime minister visited the site. he a announced three days of national mourning. he's canceled his official duties. the city is best-known as the destination of an ancient catholic pilgrimage route. thousands of christians from all over the world head there every year. the mayor said all events for the local festival have been canceled. north korea's leader has attended a ceremony for the completion of a national cemetery for soldiers who died in the korean war. kim jong-un may be trying to strengthen national unity and also wants to appeal to the u.s.

and other countries to change a cease-fire agreement into a peace accord. thursday's event was held two days before the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the korean war. north korea celebrates july 27th as victory day. thousands of citizens, war veterans and representatives of foreign governments gathered in pyongyang for the ceremony. kim was accompanied by senior north korean officials including his aunt. he left flowers at a memorial view. and inspected rows of graves. they will hold a ceremony on saturday to mark the anniversary of the armistice. kim also met with officials on thursday. this was kim's first meeting with a foreign delegation other than china.

kim jong-un also met officials from syria on wednesday. this was kim's first meeting with foreign delegation of a country other than china. the syrians are in pyongyang to attend the military parade. they delivered a congratulatory message from president bashar al-assad. state-run media quote kim as saying it is extremely encouraging for the north korean people that syria's ruling party and delegate have sent a delegation for the ceremony. it's not known if the two sides discussed syria's ongoing civil war. one of japan's leading microbiologists is watching the reputation he built up crumble. administrators at the university of tokyo are demanding shigeaki kato retract more than 40 papers. they found results were manipulated. the administrates received a tip from an outside source.

they set up a committee to look into 165 theses written by kato and his team. the papers cover topics such as bone formation and hormone activity. committee members found images of experiment results were manipulated in at least 28 papers. in some cases they say falsifications were made to make it appear tests had been carried out more than once. they suspect something similar happened this 15 other papers. kato says he accepts the results of the investigation. he says he let lab staff handle images but he adds he's responsible for failing to notice something was wrong. kato was a professor at the university of tokyo's institute of molecular and cellular biosciences. he's received about $30 million in research funding from the education ministry and other government organizations. there have been other incidences of falsification, two weeks ago,

an investigation team at kyoto university of medicine said it was said the results of a clinical study of blood pressure drug may have been manipulated. last year an investigation by the japanese society of anesthesiologists found that an ex-associate professor had fabricated 172 papers in 19 years. a head of an organization that represents japan's scientists explained the background to these incidents. >> translator: researchers always want to write valuable papers, release their findings to gain a reputation, as well as funding. i think this motivation can sometimes lead to problems. young researchers are also having a hard time getting stable positions recently. some of them want to show off good research results to get a better job. that might be another reason to

cross the line. if this kind of fraud continues, it will damage the credibility japanese science and technology, as well as products that use the research. so it's extremely important to remind researchers about ethics and to improve the standards for authentic research. a court in india has delayed handing down a verdict in a high profile rape case for the second time. patchari raksawong in bangkok is following this story. the case relates to the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a new delhi bus last december. the court delayed giving verdict for the second time. a ruling would have been the first related to the gang rape that caused outrage in india and around the world. a defense lawyer said the

verdict was delayed until august 5th because of a pending case at the supreme court that seeks to change the legal definition of a juvenile. the defendant was 17 at the time of the attack. he's being tried as a minor on charges including murder and rape. a 23-year-old woman died after she was gang raped and thrown out of a moving bus in new delhi in december. a total of six men are standing trial, but only one is a minor. the victim's father says he wants them all to receive the death penalty. if convicted, the juvenile defendant could be sent to a correctional facility for a maximum of three years. people across india have demanded a severe punishment for the defendant, regardless of his age. militants in pakistan have attacked a heavily guarded facility of the country's

powerful intelligence agency. the daring assault has left at least seven people dead and raised more concern about stability in the country. gunmen attacked a compound belonging to interservices intelligence in the southern town of sukkur on wednesday. a security official told reuters five attackers were killed, along with a civilian and intelligence officer. at least 40 people were wounded following a gun battle and explosions. it was unclear who carried out the attack, but previous operations of this nature were claimed by the pakistani taliban. the incident will raise questions about the new government's goal of opening talks with the militant group. during his election campaign earlier this year, the prime minister nawaz sharif pledged to engage militants in talks to improve security in pakistan. thailand's economy is booming, but the benefits don't always reach people at the

bottom of the pyramid. many children from poor families don't have access to a proper education, but one woman born in a bangkok slum hopes to change that. nhk world reports. >> reporter: affectionately known as dr. slum. she just received her ph.d in biotechnology at the age of 28. her accomplishment is attracting a lot of media attention in this country, where a wide gap remains between rich and poor. she wouldn't have got so far without the support of her parents and her sister and brother, who gave up their own studies to earn money for the family. >> translator: i'm so proud of her. i'm speechless. i'm so happy she's made a success of herself. >> translator: i'm so happy my brother, sister, and parents can all be with me today.

thanks to them, i've been able to take the first step towards my goal. >> reporter: thailand's booming economy means little here. most slum children have few opportunities to get an education. only about 50% of children from underprivileged families in bangkok go to junior high school. even though it's supposed to be compulsory, instead many work to earn money for the family. others turn to drugs or drift into a life of crime. pontip decided to study medical technology so she could help neighbors living in unsanitary conditions. even with a student loan, it was a constant struggle to make ends meet, but she was able to keep going, thanks in part to a scholarship from a local nongovernment organization.

she studied so hard she actually wore out her desk. and after years of tireless effort, her dreams have come true. >> translator: i worked hard so i could find a job and make my parents' lives a little easier. but i got a lot of help and support from many people along the way. >> reporter: she visits her old elementary and junior high schools to tell the students about the road she took in life. >> translator: the most important thing for you is your studies. please work hard to make your dreams come true, just like i did. >> reporter: her words touched the hearts of the children. >> translator: what should i do

to get better grades? >> translator: you've got to study every day. not just before exams. set a goal and keep working toward it. >> reporter: after pontip finished her speech, twin sisters asked her for further advice. >> translator: i was really encouraged by what she had to say. >> reporter: the girls live with their grandmother. the father abandoned the family when they were little and their mother is in jail for selling drugs. pontip's story gives them determination to keep studying and better their lives. >> translator: i want to continue my studies. if i can get a well paying job, i can help my family. >> reporter: the next chapter of pontip's life just began last week when she started her new

job as a university researcher. children from the thai slums are placing their hopes in a new local celebrity, and she continues her effort to serve as the inspiration and role model. nhk world, bangkok. and that wraps up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. the latest round of transpacific partnership free trade talks have ended in malaysia. japan took part for the first time. the chief of the host nation says discussions in some sectors were tough going. the delegates from the 12 participating nations held a news conference at the end of their 11 days. malaysia's chief negotiator and the chair of the talks welcomede

country will help expand trade. he said discussions in many of the 13 sectors saw a certain degree of progress, but negotiations on intellectual property, the environment and state-owned enterprises made little progress. he said they have agreed to a program that defines steps for conducting future meetings on tariff elimination. he reaffirmed that the participates willing to conclude a pact by the end of the year. japan's representative expressed his determination after the conference. >> translator: japan can still influence discussions on key issues. as the stance of participants on them remains wide apart. >> he added he expects difficulties ahead given the time left for negotiations and all the things the participating

nations are aiming to agree on. the next nine-day round of talks will start on august 22nd in brunai. some are concerned about the possible impact of tpp, producerers of top-grade beef have turned to their advantage. we report from singapore. >> reporter: in the island nation of singapore, some high-class hotels have added japanese beef to the restaurant menus. it costs twice as much as australian beef, about $80 per 100 grams. but dieters are willing to shell out for it. >> really soft and nice.

melting in your mouth. >> reporter: this man works for a large meat producer based in western japan. he flies to singapore to negotiate with retailers and restaurants. >> translator: we're supplying meat of the highest grade. and we're happy to know that customers are enjoying it. >> reporter: the race is heating up among japanese firms hoping to grab a share of singapore's lucrative market. yamaka's company was one of the first off the mark. his company won some major contracts and he's working hard to protect them. the tpp talks have galvanized producers. and he heard rival companies were approaching his partners. >> translator: many beef suppliers have been coming from

japan. >> reporter: they try to persuade the retailer to stay with them. his company has come up with a new strategy to try to keep their edge over rival producers. they're looking at middle income earners as a potential new market. so they went to a japanese restaurant in singapore and did some research. >> translator: many customers ask us just to sear the meat. it's becoming trendy to order beef rare. >> reporter: he came up with an idea to promote a cut cold round, a leaner and much cheaper steak. less than half a price of filet. yamakawa said he was sure customers would enjoy the more frugal cut.

he asked the restaurant to gentry sear the round. it's a still known in japan. customers gave it a thumbs up. >> i think it's really tender. it kind of melts in your mouth. the beef is my favorite meat. >> translator: if we upgrade our transport, introducing stricter temperature controls, for example, we can increase exports. >> reporter: japan's delegates have only just entered the tpp talks, but the country's meat producers respect waiting around. producers are fighting their battles on new fronts and the

stakes are rising. nhk world, singapore. japan's finance minister says the government is now in a position to implement its policy swiftly. aso outlined his position a few days after the ruling coalition won an election that solidified its control of both houses of the diet. aso spoke to people in the financial industry from across asia. he argued political stability will have a positive impact on the economy. but he stressed the government's measures to revamp the economy by pumping more money into the system and increasing public spending can't go on forever. >> we also need to take a serious step toward fiscal consolation. we must maintain market confidence in japan's fiscal stability. >> aso added the government needs to carry out its growth

plan to achieve sustainable fiscal health. business sentiment across japan is improving, and so is consumer confidence. spending at restaurant chains rose for a second straight month. the latest data from the japan food service association shows sales at about 200 restaurant operators in june rose 3.6% from the same month last year. despite the rainy season, many sunny days in eastern japan last month prompted more families to eat out. many diners opted for a more expensive dish on the menu as they are more hopeful for an economic recovery. sales at family-oriented restaurants rose nearly 6%. sales at pubs increased about 5% while those at fast food restaurants gained 3.5%. analysts at the association say the upward trend is likely to continue this month judging from the number of diners and restaurants targeting families. scientists from japan and

austria say they have developed the world's thinnest electronic circuit sheet. they say the technology could have a range of applications in the medical field. scientists at the university of tokyo and the kempler university made an ultra thin sheet that's only about a fifth the thickness of plastic wrap and it weighs 1/30 a piece of paper the same size. users can crumple and stretch the sheet without affecting how it works. the technology is designed to be unobtrusive to patients. the scientists hope to use it in new sensor-equipped medical and health care devices. >> translator: this ultra thin circuit will allow us to develop sensors that people can wear all day and night without any discomfort. >> the editors of british science magazine "nature" have published the team's findings. here are the latest market

figures. it's been cloudy and humid in tokyo. rachel ferguson is here with more on weather. rachel, what are we looking at today? >> all right. as we approach the end of the workweek, it is going to be pretty wet across much of japan. we've got two systems, a rain ban developing here to the south and then a weakening low sitting just off the coast of northeastern china.

now, western tohoku going to get the rain. a lot experiencing scattered thunderstorms with the heat and humidity in the air. down towards the south as well another low is going to be bringing more downpours to hainon island, macau and the southern coast of china. now, this is already falling on already saturated land as well. so the risk of flooding and landslides will be with us as we head on into friday. it stays hot and dry with drought conditions for central portions of china. and temperatures still way up there. chongqing 40 on friday, 39 in shanghai and 34 here in fukuoka. in tokyo, 31 degrees. back to the heat and humidity after that cool wet spell we had in the middle of the week. all right. we'll head on into the americas where you're going to be seeing more thunderstorms. and if i pull back this cloud, you'll see where the rain is. this is going to be particularly heavy for places like kansas down into oklahoma. you can see a real threat of flash flooding, thunderstorms

spreading up in towards the great lakes region as well. could be a little bit on the severe side. it is going to be dry and cooler, but sunshine there as well up towards the northeast and to the northwest is where you're going to be finding most of that heat. 27 degrees in seattle. getting up to 42 in las vegas. all right. let's go now to south america to southern brazil where i want to talk about a very strange phenomenon. some places seeing snow for the first time in 38 years. this is pretty unusual thing to see. it is of course the winter in the southern hemisphere. however, this is the heaviest snow that the region has seen in over three decades. many people were delighted playing in the parks taking pictures themselves with this very unusual weather phenomenon. however, the very southern turn that the weather took did have its drawbacks. there were numerous car accidents reported. one incident actually caused two

deaths. a warehouse here was also destroyed when heavy wet snow collapsed the roof. temperatures have recovered to the single digits for now. they look like they're set to improve further on into the weekend. we'll see this low pulling away. and then temperatures will be on the mend into the weekend. all right, a quick look over at europe then. things are, well, a little wet and windy here too. cooler also. no sign of snow, thank goodness. but this low sitting off the atlantic is certainly going to be bringing thunderstorms and the rain in across the british isles and also into western europe from spain up through into france and low countries. conversely though out to the southeast high pressure's in place and that will make things pretty hot, jacking up the temperatures in fact. athens, 37 degrees. that heat is going to be creeping up towards the north as well. warsaw 26 and rain on your friday. well, you'll be seeing about 34 on the mercury by monday. out towards the west, paris, 28 and thunderstorms. you'll see that drop a few more

digits into the weekend. here's your extended forecast. and that's "newsline" for this hour, i'm gene otani in

tokyo. from all of us here at nhk world, thanks for joining us. enjoy your day.

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♪ the londoner is pen tyn gallery commission issued to millions of architects around the world. this year 41-year-old sou fujimoto was invited to design it. his pavelon featuring an organic shape made with a lattice of steel poles has been attracting attention. >> i get the feeling i'm inside a cloud. i absolutely love the way it's built. >> you feel it's part of this beautiful park.